CHAPTER SEVEN

The Reign of David

SCRIPTURE COVERED: II Samuel, I Chronicles

TIME COVERED: ca. 1011-971 B.C.

David was the outstanding king in the entire history of Israel in Old Testament times. His reign represents the epitome of Israel's national achievements and is so recognized throughout the Holy Scriptures.

Politically and religiously, David distinguished himself as a great leader. He was successful in uniting the tribes of Israel into an effective union and extending its territory from the river of Egypt and the Gulf of Aqaba to the Phoenician coast and the land of Hamath. Through military success and friendly overtures, David gained for Israel international respect and recognition that remained unchallenged until the death of Solomon.

Religiously, David organized the priests and Levites for effective participation in the ritual and ceremonial activities of the entire nation. Even though he was denied the privilege of building the temple, David made elaborate preparation for its erection during the reign of Solomon.

Two books in the Old Testament report the account of David's reign. Second Samuel depicts the Davidic reign in great detail and provides an exclusive account of the sin, crime, and rebellion in the royal family. First Chronicles traces the genealogical background of the twelve tribes and focuses attention upon David as the first king of the ruling dynasty of Israel. Saul is hardly mentioned. Much attention is given to the political and religious organization of Israel and the extensive description of David's preparation for building the temple.

The outline of David's reign as given in this chapter represents a suggested chronological arrangement of the events as recorded in II Samuel and I Chronicles. II Samuel I Chronicles I. Genealogical Background 1—9 II. David Laments Saul's Death 1 10 III. Disintegration of Saul's Dynasty 2—4

THE KING OF JUDAH

Israel was in serious trouble when they lost their king and three of his sons in Saul's last battle with the Philistines. Abner, who had served as captain of Saul's army, was able to restore enough order to have Ishbosheth (Eshbaal) anointed as king in Gilead east of the Jordan. Philistine interference or occupation may have delayed the accession of Saul's son for five years, since he ruled only two years during the seven and a half years that David reigned at Hebron.

David was in Philistia when news reached him of Saul's death. After mourning the deaths of Saul and Jonathan, David returned to Hebron where the leaders of Judah anointed him as king. Although civil strife prevailed in Israel with the tribe of Judah supporting David and the rest of the nation loyal to Ishbosheth, mediation was soon effected when all Israel realized that David held no animosity toward the family of Saul. In the course of these negotiations, both Abner and Ishbosheth were slain without the consent of David. After seven and a half years David gained recognition of all the tribes of Israel without malice or vengeance.

	II Samuel	Chronicles
I. The Conquest of Jerusalem	5:1-9	11:1-9
II. David's Military Strength	23:8-39	11:10—12:40
III. Recognition by Philistia and Phoenicia	5:10-25	14:1-17
IV. Jerusalem—Center of Religion	6:1-23	13:1-14
15:1—16:43
V. An Eternal Throne	7:1-29	17:1-27

JERUSALEM—THE NATIONAL CAPITAL

David's kingship at Hebron may have been no serious concern of the Philistines, but when David won the acclaim and recognition of the entire nation of Israel the Philistines were seriously alarmed. Twice David defeated them and may have found their opposition an aid to the unification of Israel.

Jerusalem had remained a Jebusite stronghold throughout the time that Israel had occupied Canaan. After David decided that this would be a strategic location for a national capital, Joab succeeded in expelling the Jebusites and as a reward became commander of David's army. The particular site that David occupied was known as Ophel and may have been higher at that time than the hill to the north where the temple was built under Solomon. This fortress was known as the "city of David" (I Chron. 11:7) and was frequently referred to as Zion in subsequent Old Testament literature because it represented the seat of authority in Israel.

When David assumed national leadership, he organized the entire nation. The men who had been with' him as a fugitive and at Hebron were now appointed as princes and leaders. He built a magnificent palace in Jerusalem, contracting with the Phoenicians for his material (II Sam. 5:11,12).

Jerusalem was also made the religious center of Israel. In time, the ark was brought to Jerusalem and housed in a tent or tabernacle. Priests and Levites were assigned their respective duties, and worship was reestablished on a national scale.

David was vitally interested in building a temple. Although Nathan the prophet at first approved, he was subsequently divinely instructed that the building of the temple would be postponed until David's son was established on the throne. This was because David was essentially a man of war, and though he was a man after God's own heart, David's son Solomon would build the temple. The magnitude of the promise made to David, however, extends far beyond the scope and time of Solomon's kingdom. David was assured that his throne would be established forever. Sin and iniquity in David's posterity would be temporarily judged and punished, but God promised not to withdraw His mercy indefinitely.

No earthly kingdom or dynasty has ever had eternal duration. Neither did the earthly throne of David—without linking his lineage to Jesus, who is specifically identified in the New Testament as the Son of David. This assurance, given to David through the prophet Nathan, constitutes another link in the series of Messianic promises given in Old Testament times. The prophets give a fuller revelation of the Messiah and His eternal kingdom in subsequent centuries.

	II Samuel	I Chronicles
I. List of Nations Conquered	8:1-13	18:1-13
II. David Shares Responsibility and blessing	8:15—9:13	18:14-17
III. The Famine		21:1-14
IV. Defeat of Ammonites, Syrians, and Philistines	10:1-18 21:15-22	19:1—20:8
V. Song of Deliverance (Ps. 18)		22:1-51

PROSPERITY AND SUPREMACY

The expansion of Davidic rule from the tribal boundaries of Judah to a vast empire stretching its domain from the River of Egypt and the Gulf of Aqaba to regions of the Euphrates receives scant attention in the Biblical record. Historically, however, this is very significant since the Davidic and Solomonic kingdom of Israel was the leading nation in the Fertile Crescent at the beginning of the tenth century B.C.

The observation that the Philistines had the monopoly on iron in the days of Samuel (I Sam. 13:19, 20), and that near the end of David's reign it was freely used in Israel (I Chron. 22:3), suggest that a long chapter could have been written on the economic revolution in Israel. David's period as a fugitive and Philistine residence not only afforded him experience in military leadership, but also gave him firsthand acquaintance with the formula and methods used by the Philistines in the production of arms.

The Arabah Desert, which extended southward from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba, was strategically important for Israel. The iron and copper deposits in this area were necessary to break the Philistine monopoly. In all likelihood this was the reason that David conquered and occupied Edom and established garrisons throughout the land to control these natural resources (II Sam. 8:14).

In addition to defeating the Philistines and the Edomites, David subdued the Moabites and Amalekites, exacting silver and gold from them. David also defeated the Ammonites and Arameans, extending his power east and north to gain control of the trade routes that came through Damascus and other points. With the Phoenicians who carried on lucrative naval trade, David concluded a treaty.

The story of Mephibosheth given in the narratives of Israel's expansion illustrates David's magnanimous attitude toward his predecessor's descendants. David not only allotted Mephibosheth a pension from the royal treasury, but also provided a home for him in Jerusalem.

Mephibosheth received special consideration during a famine that came as a judgment upon Israel for Saul's terrible crime of attempting to exterminate the Gibeonites with whom Joshua had made a covenant (cf. Josh. 9:3, ff.). Realizing that this sin required atonement (Num. 35:31, ff.), David allowed the Gibeonites to execute seven of Saul's descendants. Mephibosheth, however, was spared. At this time David transferred the bones of Saul and Jonathan to the family sepulcher in Benjamin.

As king of Israel, David did not fail to acknowledge God as the One who granted Israel military victories and material prosperity. In a psalm of thanksgiving (II Sam. 22; Ps. 18), David expressed his praise. This represents but a sample of many psalms that he composed on various occasions during his varied career as a shepherd boy, a servant in the royal court, a fugitive of Israel, and finally as the architect-king and builder of Israel's largest empire.

SIN IN THE ROYAL FAMILY

Character imperfections in the leaders of Israel are not minimized in the Bible. Indulging in sin, David could not escape the judgments of God, but when he acknowledged his iniquity as a penitent sinner he qualified as a man who pleased God (I Sam. 13:14).

I. David's Crime and Repentance	II Samuel	11:1—12:31
II. Amnon's Crime and Results		13:1-36
III. Absalom's Defeat in Rebellion		13:37—18:33
IV. David Recovers the Throne		19:1—20:26

This account is exclusively recorded in II Samuel.

David practiced polygamy (II Sam. 3:2-5; 11:27). In Davidic times a harem at the royal court was a status symbol and freely practiced by surrounding nations. Polygamy seems to have been tolerated in Old Testament times because of the hardness of Israel's heart, but was definitely forbidden in the fuller revelation of the New Testament. Kings were especially warned about the multiplicity of wives (Deut. 17:17). For David, the marriages to Michal the daughter of Saul and Maacah the daughter of Tairnai, king of Geshur, had political implications. Like others, David had to suffer the consequences as the crimes of incest, murder, and rebellion unfolded in his family life.

From the human standpoint, David's sin of adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah constituted a perfect crime. Not accountable to anyone in his kingdom, David very likely concealed these developments from everyone but temporarily failed to recognize that his thoughts and deeds were known to God. For a despot in a heathen nation, adultery and murder might have passed unchallenged, but not so in Israel where kingship was a sacred trust. When confronted with his sin by Nathan the prophet, David repented. David's spiritual crises found lofty expressions in Psalms 32 and 51. He was granted forgiveness but grave, indeed, were the domestic consequences (II Sam. 12:11). The grace of God is seen in the fact that God spared David from death by stoning which was the scriptural punishment for adultery. It is further seen in that David's illegitimate child was overshadowed by Bathsheba's giving birth to Solomon who later became king.

David's lack of discipline and self-restraint set a poor example for his sons who became involved in immorality and murder. Amnon's immoral behavior with his half sister resulted in his assassination by Absalom. Incurring David's disfavor, Absalom found refuge with Tairnai, his grandfather in Geshur, for three years but then returned to Jerusalem through Joab's mediation. After spending about four years in Jerusalem in a public relations effort to win the hearts of the people, Absalom staged a rebellion against David which appeared to have all the marks of success when David was taken by surprise and forced to flee from Jerusalem.

David was a brilliant militarist. Given time to organize his forces, David routed the armies of his rebellious son. Absalom was killed. Joab rebuked David, who mourned his son's death instead of celebrating the victory, for neglecting the welfare of the Israelites who had given him loyal support. After another rebellion led by Sheba, a Benjaminite, was suppressed, David recovered his throne.

Through nearly a decade following David's crime, the solemn words spoken by Nathan the prophet were realistically fulfilled. God indeed had forgiven and pardoned David's sin, but he had to suffer the consequences that fermented in his own house.

	II Samuel	I Chronicles
I. Sin in Numbering the People	24:1-25	21:1-27
II. Solomon Charged to Build the Temple		21:28—22:19
III. Duties of Levites		23:1—26:28
IV. Civil Officers		26:29—27:34
V. Charge to Officials and People		28:1—29:22
VI. Last Words of David		23:1-7
VII. Death of David		29:22-30

RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT

David made elaborate plans and detailed arrangements for building the temple. Although he had defeated surrounding nations in his expansion of the Israelite empire, David had made a treaty with the Phoenicians who carried on extensive naval commerce throughout the Mediterranean world. With the Phoenicians, David negotiated for the materials to build the temple. Local and foreign labor was organized for this purpose and even the details for religious worship in the proposed structure were carefully outlined.

The military census of Israel and the punitive consequences for the king and his people were closely related to David's elaborate plans for building the temple. Even though the reason for divine punishment upon the king and his people is not clearly stated, it seems as though pride and reliance on military strength for Israel's national achievements motivated David. Perhaps Israel was punished for the rebellions under Absalom and Sheba. Although Joab objected to taking the census, David overruled.

Gad the prophet announced punishment for this sin. Given the choice of punishment, David resigned himself and his nation to God's mercy by choosing the pestilence. During these days of judgment, David and the elders offered intercessory prayer on the threshing floor of Oman, the Jebusite, directly north of Jerusalem. Instructed by Gad, • David purchased this site. As he offered a sacrifice there before God, he became conscious of a divine response as the pestilence ceased.

David designated this site, Mount Moriah, as the location for the altar of burnt offering and the temple. Very likely this was the spot where Abraham, approximately a millennium earlier, had been willing to offer his son Isaac. Although Mount Moriah was outside the city of Zion (Jerusalem) as originally occupied by David, it was included in the capital city under Solomon.

David reflected on the fact that he had been a man of war and bloodshed. The first seven and a half years at Hebron had been a period of preparation and civil strife. During the next decade, Jerusalem was established as the national capital and many surrounding nations were defeated in the expansion of the kingdom. David's sin and the subsequent rebellions may have disrupted the major part of the third decade of his reign. During the last decade David focused his attention upon the preparation for building the temple that he was not permitted to erect.

David charged Solomon with the responsibility to obey the Law as it had been given to Moses and to acknowledge his accountability to God. In a public assembly, David charged the princes and priesthood to recognize Solomon as his successor.

The last words of David (II Sam. 23:1-7) reveal the greatness of Israel's most honored hero. He speaks prophetically about the eternal endurance of his kingdom. God had spoken to him, affirming an everlasting covenant. This testimony by David would have made a fitting epitaph for his tomb.