What I Noticed Today (2 Samuel 5; 1 Chronicles 11-12)
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!
1 Chronicles 11-29
The next 18 chapters cover the reign of David as King over a united Judah and Israel.
1 Chronicles 11
Note: Some people, like Saul and David, became leaders because God chose them, set them apart, and anointed them for a specific work. Others, like Joab and the mighty men, became leaders because they rose to a challenge.
In verses 1-3, the elders of Israel came together at Hebron and anointed David, King, and David made a covenant with them (1 Samuel 16:1-13).
In verses 4-9, David and his army marched to Jerusalem, which was still in the hands of the Jebusites, who were Canaanites.
- Joab went up against the city first, and that earned him the title of commander of David’s army.
- David made Jerusalem his headquarters and rebuilt the city.
- David became more and more powerful because the Lord was with him.
In verses 10-49, the balance of 1 Chronicles 11 recounts the exploits of David’s mighty men
Note: The list is often referred to as 30 men, but there are perhaps as many as 45 men mentioned. This is because the list spans several decades of time. Some died early on, and others were added.
In verses 10-14, the three mighty warriors of David’s inner circle are introduced.
- Jashobeam was chief of the 30.
- Eleazar, son of Dodo, stood with David and did battle against the Philistines.
Note: The three warriors referenced in verse 12 are Jashobeam, Eleazar, and Shammah (2 Samuel 23:11).
In verses 15-22, David and his army were camped at Adullam, preparing to do battle against the Philistines. David complained of being thirsty, and three of the chief 30 warriors broke through enemy lines to bring David water.
Note: This is a different group of three warriors.
- David refused to drink it because the warriors had risked their lives to get it.
- Instead, David poured the water out on the ground as an offering to the Lord.
- Abishai, Joab’s brother, was the commander of this group of three, but not a member of the other group of three.
In verses 23-25, Benaiah is described as the most honored among the 30 but not a member of the three. David put him in charge of his bodyguard.
In verses 26-47, the fighting men are listed
Note: This list is similar to 2 Samuel 23:24-29 except that there are an additional 16 names listed after Uriah the Hittite.
1 Chronicles 12
Note: 1 Chronicles 12 covers the period of time from when David was hiding from Saul in the wilderness of Ziklag to his coronation in Hebron.
Note: Saul drafted men into his army (1 Samuel 14:52), but the men of David’s army came to him voluntarily. Some of David’s best men came from Saul’s tribe, the Benjamites.
In verses 1-7, the men who joined with David at Ziklag are listed. It includes 23 men who were from the tribe of Benjamin (Saul’s tribe).
In verses 8-18, eleven men who were Gadites from the eastern side of the Jordan River joined David.
In verses 19-22, seven men from Manasseh joined David and helped him defeat the Amalekites.
In verses 23-40, lists by tribe the numbers of soldiers who joined with David at Hebron.
- When David was anointed King at Hebron, a total of some 300,000 men had joined with him, including the Levites and the high priest (1 Chronicles 12:23-37).
- The joining of these soldiers from across the tribes brought joy to the people, and they celebrated for three days.
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.
