2 Samuel 2:1-7

David Inquires of the Lord and Moves to Hebron

Mike, would you open us up with a word of prayer? Dear Lord, we thank you for your love for us. We thank you for bringing us here this day. Giving us health and strength and a desire to be in your house.

We pray that you'd be with our brother as he opens your word. Pray that you'd speak through him and use him to help us to understand your word more and to love you more. For it's in Christ's name we pray.

Amen.

Well, let's go to 2 Samuel. I do want to say thank you Mike for filling in for me. I appreciate it. And I do have a pathway of getting through this book. I don't know if it will go a chapter at a time.

Now that I'm constrained to not have to be finished like I agree to get through the book in 32 to 33 weeks. Now, I don't know if I'm gonna do that. So I promise we won't be here two years. All right. Yeah, not gonna be here two years because I do know where I'm going from here and it's not Kings and ain't Chronicles just to Let you know.

I do have a plan to go somewhere else when we finish this. So I do want to get through that. So my plan is to be done with 2nd Samuel by the end of the year maybe by November. So that's my plan. We'll see what happens though.

We'll have some stops along the way. Well, let's uh, let's read chapter 2 and then we'll start walking through the text. It said and it came about that afterwards that David inquired of the Lord saying shall I go up to the cities of Judah and the Lord said to him go up and David said where shall I go up and he said you go up to Hebron.

So David Went up there him and his two wives and on the Jezreel Itis and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite and David brought his men who were with him and his household and their households and his households with them and they lived in the cities of Hebron.

Then the men of Judah came and they anointed David King over the house of Judah and they told David saying it was the men of Jabesh Gilead who buried Saul and David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead and said to them May you be blessed of the Lord because you have shown the kindness to Saul your Lord and have buried him.

Now may the Lord show kindness and truth to you. And I also will show this kindness and goodness to you as well because of what you have done in this thing now therefore let your hands be strong and be valiant for Saul your Lord is dead and Also, the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.

David's Grief for Saul and Jonathan Shapes His Response

But Abner the son of Nir the commander of Saul's army had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and he brought him over to Manaheim and he made him king over Gilead and over the Ershurites and over Jezreel and over the Ephraimites and over Benjamin and even over all of Israel and Ish-bosheth son's Saul's son was 40 years old when he became king over Israel and He was king for two years and the house of Judah however followed David.

The time that David was king in Hebron Over the house of Judah was seven years and six months. Now Abner the son of Nir went out to Manaheim to Gibeon and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and Joab the son of Zeriah the servants of David went out and They met him by the pool of Gibeon and they sat down Some of them on one side and one of them on the other of the pool and Abner said to Joab Now let the young men arise and hold a contest before us and Joab said let them arise so they arose and went over by count 12 for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and 12 for the servants of David and each one of them seized his opponent by the head and they Thrust their sword in his opponent's side and they fell down together there.

Therefore the place was called Helikah has a rim which is in Gibeon and some of your translations there may save field of knives or something along that lines. Anybody say that sharp swords, okay. In that day the battle was very severe and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.

Now the three sons of Zeriah were there and Joab Abishai and Isahel and Isahel was a swift-footed man. He was like a gazelle. Asahel pursued Abner and did not turn to the right nor to the left and following after Abner and Abner Then looked behind him and he says Is that you Asahel?

And he answered it is I. So Abner said to him turn to your right or to your left and you take hold of one of those younger men yourself and Take for them take for yourself their spoil. But Asahel would not listen and he would not turn aside from following after Abner but repeatedly.

But Abner repeatedly again said to Asahel Please turn aside and stop from following me should I strike you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face toward your brother Joab? However, he refused to turn to the To the side or to the left or to the right therefore Abner struck him in the belly with the butt end of his spear.

So that the spear came out of his back and he fell there and he died in that spot and it came about that all Who came to that place where Asahel had fallen had died? They stood still but Joab and Abishai pursued Abner and when the Sun was going down They came to the hill of Ammah which is in front of Gaia by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon and the sons of Benjamin gathered together behind Abner and Became one band and they stood at the top of it of a certain hill and Abner called to Joab.

And he said shall the sword devour forever. Do you not know that if it would be better in the end that would be bitter in the end? How long? Will you refrain from telling the people to turn back from following their brothers?

Joab says as God lives if you had not spoken. Surely then the people would have gone away in the morning each one following after his brother. So Joab blew the trumpet and the men halted the pursuit of Israel no longer.

Nor did they continue to fight anymore. Abner and his men then went through Arabah that night. So they crossed over the Jordan and they walked walked all morning and they came to Manahem and then Joab returned from following Abner and when he had gathered all the people together 19 of David's servants besides Asahel were missing but the servants of David had struck down from Benjamin and Abner's men so that there were 360 men had died and they took up Asahel and they buried him in his father's tomb Which is in Bethlehem and Joab and his men went all night until they until they had dawned until they reached Hebron.

The Contrast Between David's Kingdom and Saul's House

Well Mike said Long live the king and my question to you guys, which king? You see now based on what has taken place we have Splintered into two we have a civil war and as we walk through that We said we're going to see where the allegiances lie for political power.

This hey as we get into to the latter part to this this is absolutely to me. Breathtaking because you go man. We're seeing men struggle for power their own position desires to make their own their own desires known instead of Following the Lord, which is what David wants to do.

Last week we saw David knowing that Saul had died and Jonathan died. He made a great lament and he wrote that poem or the dirge that Mike walked through very well and Showing that he cared about Jonathan.

He cared about Saul. Hey, look at God's chosen King. Okay, God's chosen King remember David's not king yet. And how did he respond to his friend and his brother Jonathan when he died? How did he respond?

He was grieved. How did he respond to his enemy? He was very sad. No, wait, he was angry that they killed not yet. Hang on. We get to the Malachi coming. Yeah, he was he was saddened that his enemy the man that I pursued him for 12 15 years.

However, we want to say that okay. How he pursued him for that long and when he had died he was grieved and then how did he? What did he say about Saul's character? Yeah, did he not did he say ever say anything bad about Saul would we have been that way.

What way. No, we would have said bad things about like man that old codger chased me for 12 years. He gave me his daughter. Then he took her back and he's not giving him to somebody else. I've been running on my life running for all this time.

And now I'm glad he's dead now I can be king but that's not what David did. David actually Grieved over the loss of Jonathan. He grieved over the the loss of Saul. I do believe that he grieved over the loss of Saul in many ways.

Because he knew that Saul was rejected by God. I do believe that I do believe that he knew that he was God's rejected King. And how do we know that because while Saul was still King God come and anointed a little shepherd boy.

David Seeks the Lord Instead of Acting Like Saul

So let's walk through the text and we'll see how far we get and I'll we we ain't gonna get through it. So we'll we'll figure out where to land it and we'll stop there. Said it came about afterwards that David inquired of the Lord saying shall I go up to one of the cities of Judah?

What do we see right off the beginning that David's doing different than what he did when he was being chased by Saul. Yeah, he asked God. What do you want me to do and we go back into the end of first Samuel?

What did he do when he hit rock bottom? He inquired of the Lord he learned from it, I'm sorry. Yeah, he inquired of the Lord through Abie Athar. Yeah he inquired of Abie Athar which Abie Athar would have been the one who would have had to give him in the third room or The dice whatever you want to call it and however, he responded with Abie Athar that was but in this case We don't know what mechanism he used.

We don't know did he did he call Abie Athar? We don't know we know this he inquired of the Lord and the Lord spoke to him. What makes him different in chapter 2 than Saul through most of all of The the book of first Samuel when Saul called out to God did he did he answer him?

What did Saul actually say? I've asked for him through the Urim and the Thurim. I've asked her the priest. I've inquired of him and the Lord speaks to me not and that's why I have called up today you Samuel.

To talk to me and Samuel said hey Why am I gonna give you any other instructions or anything different than how I have before. But we see David here. He inquires of the Lord and he says that hey remember He ran across to go to the Philistines.

Did he ask the Lord where he should go? No, and where did he wind up going? Going to pagan land when he Twice going to pagan land then he went once he ran again. And where did he go right back to the same pagan land and the same king in which he deceived the first time in this Case David doesn't do anything, but he inquires the Lord.

He says shall I inquire the Lord say shall I go up to one of the cities of Judah and the Lord? Answers him go up, and he did he didn't just pack up his stuff and go what did he say next? Where. Where.

So we see now God's anointed King who's not been coronated King yet members a big difference. He's had the king who's saying okay? What are my next step steps. God has made me King or anointed me King.

Where am I going to go from here? How shall I to go about what I'm supposed to do so that I'm not doing it in error. And what does he do he says where shall I go and? He and here's what God says go to Hebron so He would have been.

Yeah, he's here. Okay, he's in Ziklag. He's telling him to go to Hebron. Which is here, so he's going to take all of his family all of those men. How look we know this he had at least at least 18 ,000 people.

I mean 1800 if it was a man his wife and the kid that's at least three and there was 600 men so we know there's at 1800. I would imagine there was more probably picked up some along the way and Certainly had a bunch of sheep and a bunch of cattle so imagine this isn't gonna happen.

Like hopping in the car and going I mean they're gonna hurt sheep and cattle and all that to get to Hebron. But it's interesting that he says go to Hebron. What do we know about Hebron anybody just tell me?

What do we know about Hebrew it would be the city of the king, but if you go back to I think it's Genesis chapter 13 yeah after the call of Abraham remember he calls him out of Iraq out east he leaves he.

He makes his way. He stops near Bethel he then Goes to Egypt memory. Tells him it's his what his sister, and then they wind up. Wanting to have sleep with his wife it finds out and I favorite says hey Why did you see me then he leaves there and he he goes by Bethel and AI again?

But then he settles with all of the riches and all of the stuff that he had been given to him by the by Egypt. He settles in Hebron. It is a Hebron where? He would have the Covenant reaffirmed to him.

It's at Hebron where he him and What would have their disagreement as a where to go and where did lot go everybody remember? Pitched his tent towards Sodom and where did where did uh where did where did Abraham go?

He went to Hebron. Then it's at Hebron where the three angels come to him, and he says hey the promised child will be with you right here next year. Then they leave and you can see the little hiccup along and then you go well man.

He's leaving and they he leaves Hebron and he goes to a Bemelech land. You remember that he does the same. The same silly scheme that he did just a couple of chapters before and he deceives him says that this is his sister.

So they would get then he winds up getting gritches there, and he goes back to Hebron. He has Isaac the chosen child. So it's to me. It's very telling what God's doing when he tells him to go to Hebron.

This is gonna be a new beginning for you David the promise is being fulfilled. Hey when day when Abraham went back to Hebron. He said that that the three angel says next year and one of them was the Lord the pre-incarnate Lord Jesus Christ.

He says I'll be here next year. You're swinging your pen at me, okay? I was like oh he might think hey. They said he might tell me I'm wrong. Wrong. So it's there that he has Isaac a new beginning with the promised child now.

We're gonna have a new beginning in Hebron with God's chosen seed. Meaning David is king now. Now is he going there, this has got not only that heritage to it, but who all was buried in Hebron. That's right Abraham Isaac Jacob Sarah Rebecca Leah.

So I mean I just can't imagine David going man. God's sending me to a place. Is this Holy Ground? God's sending me to set up my kingdom here, or he's sending me there for whatever reason. Where shall I go?

Hebron as a Place of Promise and New Beginning

So It says here that David then went up there his two wives in a home the judge just Jezreel Itis and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite is. Does anybody ever find it interesting that every time they mention Abigail?

It's always Nabal's wife. Huh, oh the Carmelites. It's always Uriah's wife and I want and I was gonna bring that up because I Made that connection as I'm reading and I go we know why he brings it up with.

With Uriah it always goes back to David's transgression. Excuse me, but in this case. What is it about Abigail that is always Nabal's wife? As I was thinking through that I go man is it where he? Actually remembers that a woman brought him the confirmed the promise don't go do this.

Because when you become king you're gonna have this on your mind of what memory what he's gonna do. He was not just gonna kill Nabal. He wasn't gonna leave a boy. He was gonna kill all the boys. I mean if there was a male child infant he was gonna kill him and I just go man.

Is that what he is a reminder of him that a woman stood in the place to stop him? From going and doing what was what what was going to be very damnable to him and Then it says and David brought his men who were with him each one of us to his household and they lived in the cities of Hebron and Then the men of Judah came there and anointed David king over Judah.

All right, so here it is the David know what was gonna happen when he got here.

As far as Yeah, did he know he was gonna be made king there? I don't think he had a clue.

No, I don't think cuz he didn't summons these people up. Remember once again, we're seeing God move and you can be right Micah. You could be right. Yeah, you could be right, but I'm read as I read the text God's telling him to go here.

He doesn't say go here. I'm gonna make you king. He says where do you want me to go? What do you want me to do. And he was basically done the same way that Abraham was told. You go here and basically trust and obey.

Trust and obey. He didn't have we we don't have any indication that David asked him any more questions. We don't have any indication that David said, okay, what's gonna happen when I get there? We don't know but we know this when David gets there.

David does not summons these men but based on the text. Okay based on the text. We don't have have any indication that David said all right tell all the people from Judah to come to me. But what does we do have from the text this then the men of Judah came and There they anointed David king over the house of Judah.

So now we have had all this time wondering when are we going to talk about David as being king when we had what? 16 chapters and David's not been king. He's been anointed king, but he's not king. We've seen David being he's kid you slayed Goliath.

He's killed thousands good. Yeah. Yep, I was gonna write all the it, but they just bored garbage. It don't don't write on right so I'm gonna fix all that but I was gonna put up here David over there. And then leave a big blank here because David wasn't king yet.

And now we can start looking at all the things that God prepared him. Certainly did God prepare him first to be a warrior to fight for his people. Yes, he did. And how did he do that did it? Yeah, it didn't we often think that oh it began with slaying the giant.

And it did not because even David said it was not slaying the giant because when he was standing there with all this stuff on. All ragtag look like me wearing Tim Stewart's clothes. And what did he say he said man?

I don't need any of this. He said because God has prepared me for this very thing and it's almost like how do you how can you say that? He says because with these hands I have tore apart a lion and a bear.

So God prepared him by slaying things that men can't do on their own. I mean think about we do have been an eye where he killed one down in a pit. But we often if you understand how that is that fell in the pit and he killed it with the spears.

How we would understand. That he didn't jump down in the pit and have a wrangling with him. But what do we know about another person that was filled with the power spirit and ripped a lion apart? Samson so we see the preparation by God preparing these men to be great deliverers of The people of God by tearing it apart just before I go any further.

Just don't know if y 'all never made the connection you get the great deliverer Samson who tore a lion apart for the power of the Spirit. David great deliverer tore the lion and a bear apart by the power of the Spirit and both of their lives were wrecked because of sexual immorality both of them David's life and we'll get to it sometime.

David's life was never the same after Bathsheba. And what happened with him. What's-his-face going in and Wanting to marry a Canaanite woman. His life was never the same. His life was never the same ruined and wrecked wound up getting his eyes poked out and David will wind up having his family.

Just an absolute turmoil. So it's here that the men of Judah come and they can't they anoint him King over the house of Judah. Now I do want us to understand that there's a big difference of how the wording is used here of Anointing David is king and how back in.

I think it's in the first Samuel chapter 8 9 we had the the anoint the private anointing of Saul. Remember he was out looking for the for the mules couldn't find him. God the under providence of God that led him to Samuel.

Samuel then says hey come eat the sacrifice with me. They came there to give him some money to talk to him. He says no sit down. He gives him the choice leg. After that he says come on. Let's walk out.

Y 'all can go on your way. Mules been found and as you get out in the city. Remember he tells the servant to do take servant to kick rocks gone. Gone, we're going by this way. And he stops and he says hey, I'm he privately anoints Saul King, okay.

Then it's not until after he does the great deliverance of the eye poker, okay. Do they take it to Gilgal and if you go back and read that I want you to go back and read because it's used. The same way with Abner it says that Israel made him King.

Said well, what's the difference between making someone King and anointing came because Kings are only anointed by God. Okay, I want you to understand too. This will be the last time we see a king from my understanding.

Burt might can correct me. He's studying a Bible longer than I am old. This is the only time the last time David will be the only one anointed King. Solomon's not anointed King. Yep, but you know Solomon anybody after that's not anointed now.

Are they said in succession as King. Yes, but this is the last time we'll see someone anointed as King. He's anointed here over the house of Judah, okay, and Once the Civil War ends it will be anointed Fully and totally in Hebron again by the collective monarchy so trivia question.

Okay. Yeah. What's that? Okay? Who's first King? Saul so second King. Ishbosheth. Ishbosheth Israel ishbosheth of Israel. Hang on so now and I we need to be clear because here's how it works. There's only there's only three kings in a monarchy.

Remember who all right of the monarchy that the United United who would the three kings be? Saul. David. Solomon what happens after Solomon remember. Because of the city splits, so they're only three of the monarchy now.

That's a trivia question for Israel now. Who was the first king over Judah? It would have been Saul. Who would have been the second king over Judah? David you understand now that that splinters. That's what happens, so you're gonna have all you're gonna have basically the southern end is going to back.

David's Anointing, Judah's Loyalty, and the Meaning of Kingship

Who? Why? That's it. Yeah, like hey, man. That's our dude. We can't have nobody running around chasing him so and there was obviously Recognition that David first of all where did David do all of his wandering around?

Down here in his and his basically his homeland. Now did he come over here and do all that yes? He did but his main reason if I stay here man if things really get hot I should be able to collectively grab ahold of some people to help me.

But what do we remember for 15 years did David ever kill one of his countrymen? Did David's men from what we know of okay based on the text kill any of his countrymen. Remember the one guy. Yeah. Yeah, but we don't have any we don't have any indication that there was a kill, but what about Saul?

How many what's up? And then. And in the whole city no, but yeah or knob have you want to say it? Yeah, then that whole city is gone, so you do see the distinction now that we're making between the people's king.

Okay. And God's King. God's King is going to rule in justice and in righteousness. And do that can't pour it point any better to the Lord Jesus Christ. I mean you think about yes.

We're get your pen is an interesting poem. You come on the succession about the king anointed after David and isn't that because of the promise he makes the David that you know you were your secure. Your line will continue that kingly line.

In other words the kingdom ripped out of the hands of Saul yep given to you know your neighbor give the David. But then you didn't need to have it take it out of his hand to give it to another person because he made the promise David that like of your seed that was gonna be the kingly line.

Yeah, it would be it would be through his line that the greater son of David would come. Yeah when we get to that. We're going to talk about the Davidic promise in the covenant and all that we get there.

We start when we'll talk about that. Yes I do. I do agree that that's why I believe that there was no no one else Anointed and that this is a specific reason even we get to will. We don't know if we'll get there today, but you look at what Abner does.

Abner does what the people of Israel does when they go to Gilgal. The King maker makes King he doesn't anoint he makes Big. Yeah, and it's a big difference. Big difference. So we see David. He is now anointed King over Judah and that he is going to rule in righteousness.

What. Just look back to what Mike taught last week as I was listening what Mike taught. I went man that is. He talked about the guy coming and running remember the Amalekite. One he should have known don't beat Amalek.

I come into David. I mean dude. He signed his death warrant no matter what okay? But what did he do when he came to David? He thought he was bringing good news. Right what did he what was the news that Mike said he brought or that descriptor said?

I Basically, and he thought good. Yeah, and he thought he was bringing him good news in hopes of what did he say he gave he brought. He brought the crown and his watch and his Rolex. All right. So he brought his crown and his Rolex.

And he's like look and I'm bringing these gifts to you to show you that while he was injured I did the honorable thing and struck him down boy. Did he know what a great miscalculation that was okay? And what did David do?

And then was it what was his reaction. He struck him down do we not was that not an act of justice so we see that God's anointed Kings gonna do what? He's gonna rule righteously. Okay, now. What is the what's the Lord Jesus Christ going to do?

He don't rule righteously and what's he gonna do a wicked doers. He's gonna strike him down. He's gonna strike him down, but then We see not only do we see the anointed King last week going to rule in righteousness and now they have anointed this King that's going to rule righteously in Judah look at what happens here in the next paragraph or in the next verse.

It says and they told David. Saying it was the men of Jabesh Gilead who buried Saul and David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead. And he said to them may you be blessed of the Lord because of what you have shown to the kindness to Saul your Lord.

And have buried him. He read okay. Remember who the Jabesh Gilead guys who were they they were the guys had to keep their eyes. But that is and why were they and they were faithful to Saul were they not were they not followers of Saul.

Let's just make it easy there were followers of Saul. Where was their allegiance was it Saul or David? What does David do? Hey, he being the king now anointed here he goes to his enemy extends the hand of Peace and says look and what look how he does it.

He says look what you did may you be blessed of the Lord because of what? Kindness. Hey David still looking at Saul his enemy and says you showed kindness to this man.

Well, and what did they do? I mean they didn't just bury him they went all night. They took the bodies off the wall. Yeah.

That's the enemy's wall. Yeah, burn the flesh. Decomposition. Yep that and making themselves unclean from touching a corpse. However long three days, but I can't remember what it was but however long that is they made themselves unclean to do the very thing.

To show honor to the kingship of Saul now these people would have been David's enemies were they not. And David extends the hand and how does he do it by blessing them of the Lord? I pray that the Lord would show you kindness for what you did to your Lord and you buried him.

Now may the Lord show kindness and truth to you. And what does he say? He basically says the same way that God is going to show. I want God to show loving kindness and goodness to you. What does he say?

I'm gonna do the same to you. So he reaches out to those people who were his enemy With an olive branch and says hey peace Peace. Does that not like the Lord Jesus Christ? I mean now we're seeing that King come in full view that points to Christ.

Look man. Everybody in here is a hell-deserving Grath deserving sinner we are enemies of God and who reaches out with an olive branch through the gospel. Okay, not sound like an allegory. Okay, but does not who can you reach out your hand to Christ?

We had the inability. But what does Christ do to us? He reaches out and pulls us out of The courts of death pulls us up and gives us life and then makes us his own. David is saying that here now. We don't know their response and We don't know the response.

But here's what it is. He says May you be blessed of the Lord because the loving kindness you sown to Saul you buried him. Where they bury Matt under the what tree? Tent tamarisk tree and you remember the tamarisk tree last time we saw saw under a saw saw saw saw.

Saw under tamarisk tree. He was holding the spear now. We got bones under a tamarisk tree and he says Because of this thing that you have done you have shown kindness and verse 7 now. Therefore let your hands be strong and valiant.

For the Lord your Lord is dead and also the king of Judah. I'm sorry, the house of Judah has anointed me king over them. What is David saying to this people? Yeah. Yeah, and It's interesting that the way David says it like did they not know that their Lord was dead.

They buried him. You know, it's like dude you not brought us any you brought us no new news David but what David is saying is just as you were valiant for Saul and you fought for Saul and you were willing to put your Life on the line and go retrieve him for your allegiance to him now I'm wanting you to do the same for me.

Do we know their response? We don't know their response. We have no idea what their response is. Did they follow David? Oh. Ultimately good. Ultimately they do but do we know what their response here was we have no idea.

Okay, no idea at all, but we know what happens when he goes When he goes to J up here, okay, J. Mesh Gilead. He goes up here to let them know or sends messengers. We know that soon as he makes that Observation of hey, I'm Judah.

I'm the king over Judah. Come follow me. Just take Go down here a little bit this versus but Abner. And I'll think we'll finish up here. But Abner the son of Nair commander of Saul's army Had taken ishbosheth the son of Saul and he brought him to Manahem and he made him king over Gilead Jezreel Ephraim Ben Benjamin and even over all of Israel ishbosheth Saul sons.

I'm sorry if you just saw some was 40 years old when he became king over Israel and he was king for two years and In the house of Judah, however followed David and the time that David was in King King in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.