If this is your first viewing, please see my Introduction before reading this.
5 April. 2 Samuel chapters 4-6
The point I made yesterday about David refusing to countenance the killing of a leader is seen here again as he orders the killing of the men who killed Ishbaal (Saul’s son) in revenge for the murder of Abner. But there still seems to be something of a double standard – punishing people for taking revenge by killing them just seems to perpetuate the cycle of violence.
In chapter 5 things take a brighter turn, as the leaders of all the tribes agree to David being crowned king as successor to Saul. All his adventures so far have taken place over probably no more than 12 to 15 years, as he is said to be 30 at the time of his coronation. We are told at the start of his reign that he would reign for forty years (a good Biblical period!).
Initially David’s royal base was at Hebron, but after six years he achieved what had proved impossible in Joshua’s time, the capture of the hill fort at Jerusalem which had remained an enclave of the indigenous Jebusites within the territory of Benjamin for maybe 400 years. It must have been a wonderful moment for David when he marched into Jerusalem for the first time, not only for the victory in itself, but because he came from Bethlehem only a few miles away, as we are reminded when we sing at Christmas “Once in Royal David’s city”. As a boy he must often have looked up at the gentile city on the hill; maybe he had felt called all along to take it for God’s people.
In the following chapter, the ark – the symbol of God’s presence – is brought into the city with much rejoicing – no wonder David put on the priestly vestment (ephod) and danced for joy! There is a modern worship song – “When the spirit of the Lord moves within my heart, I will dance as David danced”. Not too literally one hopes, as his wife Michal criticised him for being indecently dressed before female onlookers (presumably the ephod was the equivalent of kilt). Nonetheless, Jerusalem would remain the capital of Judah for a similar length of time (400 years or so) before the Babylonians eventually captured it, and the spiritual home of the Jews to the present day.