David Anointed King

David Becomes King

Christianity Oasis provides this David Anointed King Bible study on David Becomes King of Israel. We'll look into that and all aspects of the Bible seeking truth, understanding and then peace.


Daily Bread Devotional Bible Study
The Second Book of Samuel
Chapter 5
(Parallel Chapters - 1 Chronicles, Chapter 11, 12 and 14)


Jesse's Son David Anointed King

David Becomes King of Israel Saga

Welcome to our Christianity Oasis Daily Bread study program. This is our David Anointed King Bible study taking a look into the David Becomes King of Israel story and how the long awaited David Anointed King message affects your be-YOU-tiful Christian walk.

David Anointed King Lesson
David Becomes King of Israel Story

Delighted to see you here again at Daily Bread! As you may remember, in our last chapter, Ishbosheth was killed by a couple of his army captains, who after hearing about the death of Abner, snuck into Ishbosheth's house and killed him, cutting off his head while he was taking a midday nap.

Instead of the favor they had hoped to receive from David for delivering the head of the son of Saul, David had them killed, and their hands and feet cut off, then hung them over the pool (stream) in Hebron for all to see.

Now, let me warn you in advance, this chapter is absolutely loaded with detours ... But each time we pause to elaborate on something, it makes everything so much more interesting!

After that, all the people of Israel went to David in Hebron and spoke kindly to him saying, "We're your family. Before, when Saul was king, you were the one that really led Israel. The Lord has told you, "You will be the shepherd of my people, you will be their leader." So all the heads of the tribes of Israel came to Hebron, and they anointed David king over all of Israel.

This is also mentioned in 1 Chronicles 12: 38-40. David was 30 years old when he began to reign and he reigned for 40 years. In Hebron, he reigned over Judah for 7½ years, and in Jerusalem he reigned 33 years over all Israel and Judah.

David Anointed King Truth
David Becomes King of Israel Event

A couple of little Daily Bread Crumbs for you ... First, isn't it interesting that when David became king, he was the same age that Jesus was when He began His ministry? Just an observation. Secondly, If David was 30 years old when he began to reign, and Saul reigned for 40 years, that means Saul had been king of Israel for 10 years before David was even born.

And king David and his men went to Jerusalem (which was known as Jebus at that time) against the Jebusites, who still lived there at the time. Let's refresh our memories about the Jebusites for a bit.

Genesis 15:18-21

18 In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,
20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,
21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.

David Anointed King Discussion
How David Becomes King of Israel

So, the land that the Jebusites were still living in was part of the inheritance that God bestowed on Israel ... However:

Joshua 15:63

As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out: but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day.

So, at the time of the writing of the Book of Judges, up until David left Hebron to take over Jerusalem, the Jebusites remained there.

Now ... The Jebusites were stinkers. On the walls of their city they erected their gods, which David considered "the blind and the lame," because they have eyes and see not, feet and walk not. But, the Jebusites considered them the guardians of their city, and proclaimed that except David take these away (which they thought he could never do) then he could not go into Jerusalem.

Oh, but David did take over the fortress and then David said, "Whoever manages to enter the city, and overcomes the Jebusites with their lame and blind, all of whom are hated of David's soul, he will be the chief and captain of the army of Israel.

David Anointed King Message
Why David Becomes King of Israel

Guess who went up first and won the highest rank in David's army. Joab, of course. That Joab ... It's hard to decide how to feel about him, isn't it? Just think of how David felt. One day he's murdering Abner who just delivered you the loyalty of all of Israel, then you turn around and he's earning honor by being the most valiant of all your men.

Anyway, David resided in the castle, and they called it the city of David. That sounds like a big place doesn't it? Actually, it was only about eighteen and a half acres. You can take a look at a map of the city of David at the links below. The best depictions in our selection are titled Ancient Jerusalem and Ancient Jerusalem 2. Click on the thumbnail images to view the maps full-size:

Ancient Jerusalem
Map of Ancient Jerusalem
Ancient Jerusalem 2
Another map of Ancient Jerusalem

David built all around the city of David from Millo inward, and Joab repaired the rest of the city. As time went on, David grew more powerful and God was with him. The king of Tyre, who's name was Hiram, sent cedar trees and carpenters and stonemasons and they built David a house.

David wrote a Psalm and Song at the dedication of the house of David that expresses his appreciation for all the Lord did for him.

David Anointed King Finally
Where David Becomes King of Israel

David could feel that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that he had made his kingdom great for the sake of His chosen people, Israel.

How respectable that in the midst of blessing after blessing, David recognizes that it's from the Lord, not his own strength. That's one thing that makes David so different. How many times do we say thank you to God throughout our day?

How much of our day do we spend simply praising Him? Our blessings, our miracles, our joy comes from the Lord. Not from our own efforts. Don't forget to whisper a "Thanks" to Him when you recognize His power, His blessings and His Grace in your own life.

After David moved from Hebron he took more wives and concubines out of Jerusalem, and he had yet more sons and daughters. These were their names: Shammuah, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphalet.

David Anointed King Tears
David Becomes King of Israel Details

Sometimes you'll find things that are a bit confusing in the Bible, and this is one of those instances. Let me explain. In the left column below are the accounts of the sons which were born to David in Chapter 3 and Chapter 5 of 2 Samuel. And in the right column below is the account of the sons which were born to David in 1 Chronicles.

2 Samuel 3:2-5

2 And unto David were sons born in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;
3 And his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;
4 And the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;
5 And the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron.

1 Chronicles 3:1-9

1 Now these were the sons of David, which were born unto him in Hebron; the firstborn Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second Daniel, of Abigail the Carmelitess:
2 The third, Absalom the son of Maachah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur: the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith:
3 The fifth, Shephatiah of Abital: the sixth, Ithream by Eglah his wife.
4 These six were born unto him in Hebron; and there he reigned seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years.
5 And these were born unto him in Jerusalem; Shimea, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon, four, of Bathshua the daughter of Ammiel:
6 Ibhar also, and Elishama, and Eliphelet,
7 And Nogah, and Nepheg, and Japhia,
8 And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine.
9 These were all the sons of David, beside the sons of the concubines, and Tamar their sister.

2 Samuel 5:14-16

14 And these be the names of those that were born unto him in Jerusalem; Shammuah, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon,
15 Ibhar also, and Elishua, and Nepheg, and Japhia,
16 And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphalet.

David Anointed King by the Prophet
David Becomes King of Israel Glory

Chileab, of Abigail in 2 Samuel is called Daniel, of Abigail in 1 Chronicles.

Elishua is not mentioned in 1 Chronicles and Nogah is not mentioned in 2 Samuel.

Elishama and Elipelet are both listed twice in 1 Chronicles.

And it says in 1 Chronicles that the total born to David in Jerusalem was nine ... But if you count, it's 13 ... And even if you subtract the two that are listed twice, it's still 11.

Gasp!

Does this mean that the Bible is a liar?!

Simmer down! Heaven's no! It may mean that probably different people wrote the different accounts or that perhaps one person may have been known by two different names (which is not unusual) and though God's Word is infallible, man's intervention in it and translation of it over the thousands of years have resulted in some inconsistencies. If you'd like to know more about how to defend God's Word when skeptics approach you with such objections, you'll want to read this study:

David Anointed King Concern
David Becomes King of Israel Wars

(I just have to fill you in on stuff like that and prepare you, because people do love to test Christians ... Even other Christians at times.)

Great! now we can get back to our story.

When the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines came to challenge David. When David found out, he went down to the fortress and the Philistines set themselves in array in the valley of Rephaim.

We sure have a lot of trivia to research in this chapter, don't we? This one could qualify as a Daily Bread Crumb I believe. The name Rephaim means 'giant.' How can you, yourself, find out things like this? Well, two obvious ways would be to get yourself a Strong's Concordance, or you can look it up in an encyclopedia, or on the international network.

Or even more fun, you can learn interesting little tidbits like this in your Daily Bread and frequently impress your friends and relatives with the interesting information you discover about the Bible! If you look back into scripture, you'll find that if a name ends in "im," they might have been giants. Let me give you a little rundown on some of the names of the families of giants that we've read about thus far in the Bible:

David Anointed King Warning
David Becomes King of Israel Danger

The Rephaims, Zuzims, Anakims (which the Moabites called Emims), Horims, Zamzummims, Avims and the Caphtorims. But not ALL giants aren't clearly identified with the "im" suffix to their family name, for example, we don't know which family the giant Og the king of Bashan was from. Also, Goliath, was a Gittite from Gath, and we're not told which family he came from either ... But these little things are interesting to know.

Concerning the valley of the giants and it's proximity to Jerusalem, this verse from Joshua may help:

Joshua 15:8

And the border (of the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah) went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom unto the south side of the Jebusite; the same is Jerusalem: and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lieth before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the valley of the giants northward ...

And, to help you visualize this location even better, this valley was on the border between the inheritance of Judah and the inheritance of Benjamin. It runs diagonally from northeast to southwest about 3 to 4 miles west/northwest of Jerusalem.

David Anointed King and Talks With God
David Becomes King of Israel by God

Once again ... We'll return to our story.

David asked the Lord if he should fight against the Philistines, and the Lord told him to go, and that He would definitely deliver the Philistines into his hand and he would win. David turned to God for advice as a natural reaction when he had decisions to make. What a grand idea! How many times, after the fact, do we wish we had asked God for guidance instead of relying on our own carnal opinion?

It's so hard for us to see things spiritually, we're so single dimensional. And no doubt there were times when David didn't fully understand why the Lord led him in a certain direction, but in the end, it's always clear. We should all be more David-like in that sense ... And the result would be the power of the Holy Spirit working through us in our lives, with so much more happiness in the end, not to mention a stronger relationship with our Lord.

The decisions we face may not be as urgent or complicated as David's were, but no matter how insignificant we may think our decisions are, God cares about every facet of our lives. Maybe you're questioning if you should move, or which job you should take, or perhaps you're facing a decision concerning your family, or what to tell a friend who is hurting ... Ask God. He'll give you the answers you're looking for. Instead of taking a risk and hoping you guessed right, trust Him. God will guide you.

You might be thinking, "I can never hear God talking to me though." Remember, God might answer yes, no, or not now. Your answer could be, not now. Which means ... Wait. Don't act on whatever decision you want to make just because you're impatient.

David Anointed King Explained
David Becomes King of Israel Story Continues

Also, keep in mind, the closer you are to God, the better you will be able to hear Him. It's kind of like a loved one or a friend in your life. The more time you spend with them, the easier you recognize their voice, no matter how physically far they are from you or how softly they may be whispering.

After a while, you may even have conversations with this person just using facial expressions because you know each other so well you can easily read on their face what they're saying to you. Get that close to God. No, you won't need to read His facial impressions, but God does tend to whisper sometimes.

1 Kings 19:11-13

11 And He said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:
12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?

Biblical David Anointed King
David Becomes King of Israel Joy

Get close to Him and learn what He has to tell you. You'll be amazed. This program is sure to help you establish a closer relationship with the Holy Spirit of God:

I know this Daily Bread has been quite lengthy, but sometimes there are just so many topics to touch on that will truly enhance your Christian walk, that it wouldn't be fair to you if we were to neglect mentioning them.

Now, imagine how strong the army of Israel was with David's men and the rest of Israel who fought under the command of Saul combined. The hand of God worked so triumphantly against the Philistines that David said that the Lord had burst through his enemies like a flood! The Philistines left their images there, which they presumed would assist them in battle ... Probably nobody informed them that false gods aren't real, and they're useless anywhere, including the battlefield. David and his men burned them all.

Then, as though the Philistines hadn't learned their lesson, they returned yet again and set up their camp in the very same spot that they did the last time in the valley of Rephaim. When David asked the Lord for guidance, He told David not to approach the enemy head on, but instead to sneak up from behind them and attack them opposite the mulberry trees.

David Anointed King Conclusion
David Becomes King of Israel Summary

When he heard the sound of the leaves rustling in the top of the trees, that was the Lord's sign to him that he was to move quickly because the Lord would go out before him to kill the multitude of the Philistines.

So ... David did just what the Lord commanded, and he didn't stop in the valley, but he smote the Philistines all the way to Gazer. You may have difficulty finding a city called Gazer on any map of Israel, but there is the city of Gezer which was in the inheritance of Ephraim, and it was on the border between where the Philistines occupied and where Israel occupied. It's likely that this is where David destroyed the Philistines up to.

1 Chronicles 14:17

And the fame of David went out into all lands; and the LORD brought the fear of him upon all nations.

Never a dull moment! Make sure to come back tomorrow and find out what happens next in our story, right here at Daily Bread!