House of David - 2 Samuel

The second book of Samuel describes the enthronement of God’s king, David, and the establishment of the “House of David” through which the Messiah, Jesus Christ, should later come. When Christ comes again, He will sit upon the throne of David (Isaiah 9:7; Luke 1:32). This book is occupied with the history of David as king (2 Samuel 5:3). In 1 Samuel we saw the testing days of David. He was called from the sheepfold (1 Samuel 16:11-13), he had victory over Goliath (1 Samuel 17) and he was persecuted by Saul (1 Samuel 18). After the results of Gilboa when both Saul the king and Jonathan his beloved friend lay dead, David naturally desire to know what was to be the next step. So David sought guidance of God (2 Samuel 2:1). This is an important principle we need to implement in our life. When tough decisions come in our way, we need to bow down before God and seek his guidance.

David inquired of God where he should set up his kingdom, and God told him in Hebron. No sooner had David gone up to the city, than the men of Judah came and anointed him king over the house of Judah. The men of Judah who came to meet David were probably the elders of his own tribe. They came to elect him as king, and although he had been anointed privately by Samuel to indicate that God had chosen him, it was natural and necessary to repeat the anointing in public as the outward and visible inauguration of his reign. However, David’s kingship was not acknowledged by all of the people. Abner, the captain of Saul’s army, at once took steps to appoint Saul’s son to take his place. Civil war followed, but finally everything turned to David and he was made king of all Israel. He reigned 40 years in all, including 7.5 years in Hebron over Judah and 33 years in Jerusalem over the whole land.

The war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time. David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker (2 Samuel 3:1). The cause of its weakness was that God was against it. The first concern of David when he settled in Jerusalem was bringing up the Ark of Covenant (2 Samuel 6). He called Nathan the prophet and consulted him about building a temple for Jehovah. At first it seemed as though God would let him do this, but God had a different purpose for David (2 Samuel 7:4-17). Under David’s rule Israel reached its high mark. It had been called Israel’s golden age. When Israel was right with God, it was invincible against all odds.

In all of God’s word no chapter is more tragic or fuller of warning for the child of God than 2 Samuel 11. It tells the story of David’s fall. God forgave him but the word says, “The sword will never depart from your house” 2 Samuel 12:10. He reaped just what he had sown. Look over the steps in David’s fall. First, he was idle (2 Samuel 11:1-2). It was the time for a king to go to war, but he was not there. He remained in Jerusalem in the place of temptation. When we don’t do our respective job, there is a chance of sin to come over us. Next, “David sent someone to find out about her” (2 Samuel 11:3). He makes inquiry about this woman and then he took her (2 Samuel 11:4). He brings her to his house. He forgets what is due to the faithful soldier whose wife she is. But the next step is far worse – his sin against Uriah, one of the bravest of his soldiers. He must get rid of him. He makes Joab his confidant in sin, his partner in murder.

Never neglect watching and praying. An hour’s sleep left Samson at the mercy of Delilah. Don’t fool with one sin even in thought. Nathan visited David and charged him with the sin. We read of David’s sincere repentance (Psalm 51). God told David that his child should die because of his sin (2 Samuel 12: 13-32). The death of his child was a grievous sorrow to David, but the living sorrow he endured through his beloved son Absalom is unimaginable. Through a spy system, Absalom did fraud and stole the kingdom from his father. When David left Jerusalem, Absalom gathered his army in Hebron and marched triumphantly into the city. Finally David prepared for battle with Absalom. During the fray, Absalom was caught by his ling hair in the trees of the forest.

After the rebellion was crushed, King David returned to his kingdom. We see yet another sin by David in numbering the people, because God had not told him to. The land was punished with a 3 day pestilence. He gathered great provisions for building the temple and directed his son Solomon to build it. David was only 70 years old when he died.

His great spirit is revealed to us in the psalms that he wrote. But he sinned. The story does not end here, because he repented (Psalm 51). David took a chaotic nation and established a dynasty that was to last to the time of the captivity, a period of more than 450 years. The last verses of 2 Samuel 24:18-25 tell of king David’s buying Araunah’s threshing floor. He erected an alter there. This has special significance, for on this site the great temple of Solomon was later built. On this sacred spot today stands the Dome of the Rock, one of the most important Islamic mosques in the world.

The greatness of your spiritual power is the measure of your surrender. David was a man after God’s own heart – not because of boasted perfection, but because of confessed imperfections. He hid himself in God. May the Spirit of God help you to confess your sins and guide you to live carefully a life of holiness to glorify Christ Jesus.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” – 1 John 1:9.