2 Samuel Chapter 4 Verse 1

 Ishbosheth loses heart when he hears that Abner has been killed and

the phrase in the Hebrew is much more interesting as it literally reads,

“his hand lost strength.” I like the comment of David Guzik on the

state of Ishbosheth. He remarks, since it was man that put him on his

throne, when the man is gone, so is his throne. The flip side of that is

when you are sure of your calling, when it is God that has put you

where you are, whole different ball game when someone doesn’t

approve, or when you lose someone. Still stings, still hurts, but your

strength remains…

2 Samuel Chapter 4 Verses 2 – 4

 Mephibosheth wasn’t born with this issue. It was a result of an injury.

How blessed we are in our day with modern medicine! That today,

certainly we don’t have all the answers, all the cures…, but if this

would have happened today, there’s a good chance he would have

recovered. Just taking a moment to thank God for His healing through

medicinal wisdom that He has given.

2 Samuel Chapter 4 Verses 5 – 7

 This was especially brutal because his assassins where Benjamite’s.

Saul was a Benjamite. Ishbosheth was a son of Saul…, so these were

his brothers, his family. They find him sleeping at noon…, and they’re

able to just come all the way into his house, into his bed room…,

meaning that he had no guards assigned to protect him, or at least

there is no mention of guards…

 Certainly unwise and when you are down, you can miss things, make

unwise decisions, you’re not exactly thinking clearly. And this

brutality of cutting off his head was to take it to David…

2 Samuel Chapter 4 Verses 8 – 12

 Just as David did to the Amalekite that brough Saul’s head, he does to

these two who bring him the head of Saul’s son.

 It sounds merciless and it most certainly is. Notice David doesn’t seek

the counsel of the Lord. One life is lost from Israel and now two

more? Remember, David wanted to build a house for the Lord and the

Lord wouldn’t let him because his hands had blood on them. Perhaps

that blood included these two Israelites…

 Justice is justice, I get it. And, Hosea 6:6 says, “For I desire mercy

and not sacrifice.” A verse that Jesus Himself quoted twice. Micah 6:8

says, “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the

Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly

with your God!?” Justice is justice, but justice without humility is

not Godly. Remember the cross…

2 Samuel Chapter 5 Verses 1 – 5

 Some interesting parallels to Christ here as David began his reign at

30 years of age and Jesus began His earthly ministry at 30 years of

age. David reigned over all Israel and Judah for 33 years and Jesus

lived 33 years before going to the cross… David completed his reign

signified by the number 40 in the total years he reigned while Jesus

fulfilled His mission and ministry in His first coming of dying for the

sins of the world and overcoming death…

 One could say that the people turn to him because the sons of Saul are

dead and he is their only choice, I get that… AND, you could also take

the path that he is made king by the people for other reasons that still

resonate today…

 First, he was proven in his leadership. He was the one that led the

nation, showing them a man of character when Saul would not…

Second, he is their family. They have a connection with him that

supersedes just kingship. There is implied care there as a result of the

familial relationship. Third, they identify him not only as a boss but as

a shepherd. Fourth, the hand of God is obvious upon him. Finally,

they see him make a commitment to them. A good leader is a servant

to those they lead. These are the reasons why people around you

make you a leader… If you have to force it, if you skip these things

we see in David, you are no leader, you are a disease to your people…

2 Samuel Chapter 5 Verses 6 – 7

 This is speaking of the area that is now Jerusalem. It was inhabited by

the Jebusites (who were Canaanites) and they were arrogant against

David because their city was set on a hill, easily defended…

 The stronghold of Zion is not all of Jerusalem as it says here that it

was the City of David, or what would become the City of David. The

City of David is located within the walls of the Old City and yet it

itself is even more fortified with a mote of sort around it… The house

of David is a place we visit when we are there and you can see how it

is fortified itself within the already fortified city of Jerusalem.

2 Samuel Chapter 5 Verses 8 – 19

 This is interesting and shows the mercy and unfairness of God. Not

unfair to you or to me, but unfair to Himself. David continued to

transgress the word of God. Deuteronomy 17:17 is clear, and that book

had been around for 400 years by this time, speaking about the king of

the people clearly that multiplying wives was not happen… And yet

David seemingly never stopped…

 AND, notice, he goes to God and what does God do? He responds.

Not only that he responds giving David hope and giving David the

victory, but also God responds in detail! Entirely, completely unfair.

Unfair to God! But God loves… He loves the people, He loves David,

God is love…

 And according to 1 Corinthians 13 verses 4 – 8, “Love suffers long

and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not

puffed up; does not behave rudely, DOES NOT SEEK ITS OWN, is not

provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the

truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all

things. Love never fails…”

 I think I am (and we are) entirely eternally less merciful and loving

than God is… And we see it on display with His dealings with

David… And if I’m being honest, I see that on display with God’s

dealings with me.

2 Samuel Chapter 5 Verses 20 – 25

 David’s success and even the establishing of his city and his house

brings new outside challenges. That’s just part of it all… Just as you

gain ground, new problems arise, new enemies show up… But David

doesn’t take a break, he is on mission, and he inquires of the Lord!

Unlike Ishbosheth, it was God that put David on his throne…, not

David, and not another man…

 And the Lord says here something that is easily missed but

mysteriously awesome…, it says here, “when you hear the sound of

marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance

quickly.” What on earth does that mean? When the tops of the trees

reveal a signal to you… It could be that David had men climb trees to

watch and to listen but it also could be that David was to look up…,

and when he hears what God has said, when he perceives the word of

God coming to pass…, advance quickly!

 And I love that! When you see the faithfulness of God, when you hear

His voice, move out…, take hold of that and don’t miss it! The victory

is there for you to take! Just as we are seeing with David…, following

the lead of God Himself in fighting his own battles and in doing so, it

is actually God who is fighting David’s battles for him! Why? Simple

principle, David inquires of the Lord and does what the Word of God

tells him to do…, and in doing so, the battle becomes the Lord’s, not

David’s!