2 Samuel 3-5
What I Noticed Today (2 Samuel 3-5)
2 Samuel 3
The war between the house of Saul and the house of David continued.
Note: If the war between the house of Saul and David lasted throughout the reign of Ish-bosheth, then it went on for about two years (2 Samuel 2:10).
In verse 1, David became stronger, and the house of Saul became weaker.
In verses 4-5, David had six wives and fathered six sons (one son per wife) in Hebron.
In verses 6-11, During the time that David was in Hebron, Abner (Ish-boshesh’s general) became stronger.
- Ish-bosheth accused Abner of sleeping with one of Saul’s concubines, which was a privilege of only the king.
- We don’t know whether or not Abner did sleep with the concubine, but the result was that Abner switched sides, went to David, and proclaimed his loyalty to David.
In verses 12—16, Abner sent messengers to David, offering to make a covenant with him and hand the entire land of Israel over to David.
- David agreed to make a covenant with Abner but required that his wife Michal be restored to him.
- David then sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, demanding that Michal be returned to him, and Ish-bosheth complied.
Note: In Abner’s proclamation, he described David’s land as going from Dan to Beersheba. Dan was the furthest city in the north, and Beersheba was the furthest city in the south. So in effect, Abner was describing David’s land as a united Judah and Israel.
In verses 17-39, Abner gathered men from Israel and met with David in Hebron. They solidified their covenant, and Abner left to gather all the tribes together under David’s leadership.
- David and Abner made a covenant together, but this did not sit well with Joab, David’s commander (Abner had killed Joab’s brother Asahel, see 2 Samuel 2:23).
- Joab followed Abner to Hebron and killed him.
Note: Hebron was a city of refuge, so at the very least, Joab should have submitted the matter to the city elders for adjudication.
- David was furious when he learned about Joab killing Abner. He swore a curse upon Joab and his family and mourned the passing of Abner.
2 Samuel 4
Ish-bosheth is assassinated.
In verses 1—4, when Ish-bosheth heard about Abner’s death, he and the Israelites were dismayed (probably because they finally realized that God was favoring David).
In verses 5-8, two of Saul’s captains (Rechab and Baanah) came and murdered Ish-bosheth, cut off his head, and proudly took it to David. They claimed the assassination was at the Lord’s hand as vengeance for what Saul had done to David.
In verses 9-12, David was furious that they had killed Ish-bosheth and ordered the men who assassinated him killed.
2 Samuel 5
2 Samuel 5 recounts David’s anointing as king of Israel in Hebron.
In verses 1-4, the leaders of all the tribes of Israel assembled at Hebron, made a covenant with David and anointed him king over all the tribes of Israel.
- David was 30 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 40 years; 7-1/2 years over Judah in Hebron and 33 years over all Israel in Jerusalem.
In verses 5-12, David then went to Jerusalem, drove out the Jebusites, and renamed the city, the City of David. David continued to grow in strength because God was with him.
- King Hiram of Tyre sent envoys to David with logs, carpenters, and stonemasons who built a palace for David.
In verses 13-16, while in Jerusalem, David took for himself more wives and concubines and had more children.
In verses 17-25, once again, the Philistines came up against David.
- David inquired of the Lord and was told to go up against the Philistines.
- The Philistines came up against David a second time.
- David inquired of the Lord again, and the Lord gave David specific instructions for the battle.
- The Lord actually went before David, while David attacked from the rear. The Lord gave David victory again, and David struck down the Philistines all the way from Geba to Gezer (see also 1 Chronicles 14:16, a distance of about 15 miles).
Some thoughts for additional consideration:
- David trusted in the Lord and followed Him faithfully. As a result, David grew stronger and stronger and was finally able to unite the northern and southern tribes of Judah and Israel into one united nation.
- Division and dissension remain among the people of God today. We will never be strong as a people of God until we realize that unity does not come from having a common enemy, but from having and obeying our King!
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.